This volume provides a short and accessible introduction to the organization that serves as the primary coordinator of the work of the UN system throughout the developing world - the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The book: Traces the origins and evolution of UNDP, outlining how a central UN funding mechanism and field network developed into a more comprehensive development agency Evaluates the UNDP's performance and results, both in its role as system coordinator and as a development organization in its own right Considers the return of the UNDP to a more central role within the UN development system, in order to review the successive attempts at UN development system reform, the reasons for failure and the future possibilities for a more effective system with the UNDP at the centre. Offering a clear, comprehensive overview and analysis of the organization, this work will be of great interest to students and scholars of development studies, international organizations and international relations.